Apparatus for treating wire

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for continuously processing wire containing a high percentage of copper, which involves pulling the wire through a reducing die and around a powered capstan to reduce its diameter and raise its temperature. The wire is then immediately, without cooling or bending or otherwise physically altering it, pulled through a molten tin bath to coat and simultaneously anneal the wire. Added heat may be imparted to the wire without contamination by means of an electric current passed through the wire via the pulling capstans as the wire passes through the tin bath.

C United States Patent 13,592,163

[72] Inventor Gordon L. Bauer [56] References Cited Shrim- UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 21 m fia, 443.464 l2/l890 Sedgwick ll8/620X [22] Fri y 2,011.398 8/1935 Dimmick 8/44 X (45] Patented July 13, I97! [73] Assignee Wyrepnk Industries, Inc. Primary Examiner- Peter Feldman Bridgeport, Conn. Attorney-H. Gibner Lehmann ABSTRACT: An apparatus for continuously processing wire containing a high percentage of copper, which involves pulling TREATING WIRE the wire through a reducing die and around a powered capstan to reduce its diameter and raise its temperature. The wire is [$2] U.S.Cl "8/620, then immediately, without cooling or bending or otherwise l I8/44, l l8/405 physically altering it, pulled through a molten tin bath to coat [5|] lnt.Cl .T 1305c 5/00, and simultaneously anneal the wire. Added heat may be im- BOSc 3/02 parted to the wire without contamination by means of an elec- [50] Field of Search .t 1 18/75, tric current passed through the wire via the pulling capstans as 620, 44, 404, 405,419, 420, 126', l l7/I 13 the wire passes through the tin bath.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WIRE This invention relates to wire treatment, and more particularly to wire drawing, coating and annealing.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for continuously drawing, coating and annealing wire of the type containing a high percentage of copper, such as copper wire and brass wire, by which increased production is obtained with lower costs.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus as above set forth, which produces a high quality in the finished product.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus as characterized. which is especially simple, eliminating steps and equipment heretofore necessary in performing the operations ofdrawing, tinning and annealing.

Features of the invention reside in the provision of an apparatus as above outlined, which is efficient and effective, easily used and put into practice, and which requires a minimum of upkeep and maintenance.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The single figure of the drawing is a diagrammatic-schematic representation of the improved and simplified wire treatment apparatus as provided by the invention, and which utilizes an improved method or process.

As shown, the broken-outline box I indicates a conventional wire drawing machine having a payoff means I2 from which there is brought a wire strand I4. The wire I4 is of copper, or has a high copper content, such as brass wire or other similar alloys. The wire I4 is brought around a capstan l6 and then through a reducing die [8, by which the diameter is made smaller. The wire 14 is then brought around a payout capstan 20, from which latter it is pulled in leaving the machine.

In accordance with the present invention, the wire I4 is not at this point stored or cleaned or provided with flux, or subjected to any similar operations. Instead, from the capstan the wire I4 is brought directly and while in motion into a tin pot 22, being led into the molten tin from side areas thereof, as through inlet and exit dies 24, 26 respectively having their openings located below the level or top surface of the tin during the operation of the equipment. The dies 24,26 have bores which are only slightly larger than the wire I4 in diameter, whereby no reduction in the size of the wire is effected but. instead an entry and exit is provided which does not permit leakage of the molten tin at these points.

I have found that it is possible to successfully coat a copper or copper containing wire with tin or tin alloys without precleaning the wire I4 or fluxing it, by means of the above procedure and process, and also that a satisfactory annealing of the wire may be accomplished by virtue of the heat to which it is subjected in the tin bath or pot 22. In part I attribute the success of this process to the heating effect of the drawing die 18, which reduces the wire diameter. Such working of the wire causes heat in the wire, presumably due to molecular friction as well as the friction between the die surfaces and the exterior or peripheral surfaces of the wire. The heat imparted to the wire 14 during working in the die I8 is not largely lost by passing the wire over the pulling capstan 20, for the reason that the capstan temperature increases above the ambient, and for the further reason that heat transmission from the wire to the capstan is low due to the small areas of contact between these elements. Thus, the wire [4 in leaving the capstan 20 has an appreciably raised temperature, which in conjunction with the high temperature of the tin bath, results in a satisfactory coating of tin on the wire as well as an annealing of the wire.

After leaving the tin bath 22, the wire 14 passes into a cooling water tank or bath 30 and thereafter passes out ofthe cooling bath through an airwiper 32 which removes the moisture and effects a drying of the wire. The wire I4 then passes around another pulling or powered capstan 34, which is the means by which the wire is pulled through the dies 24, 26, the tin bath 22. the cooling bath 30 and the airwiper 32, and

pulled around and from the capstan 20. Front the capstan 34 the wire 14 which is now coated with tin and anneaied, passes to a spooling machine 36 where it is placed on spools for shipment and use.

To supply additional heat to the travelling wire 14 as it passes through the tin bath 22 an electric heating current is provided. Such current may come from a transformer secondary 38 having leads 40, 42 connected by means of suitable brushes 44, 46 to the capstans 20, 34. The voltage and current may be regulated as required, depending on the size of the wire, the resistance of the contacts established between the wire and the capstans 20, 34 and other conditions involved with the coating and annealing.

It will not be understood from the foregoing that l have provided a novel and improved, greatly simplified apparatus for continuously drawing, coating and annealing copper wire and wire containing a high percentage of copper. Between the wire drawing machine 10 and the tin bath 22 no intermediate steps nor equipment are required, such as cleaning baths, storage facilities if the wire is to be first spooled, fluxing baths and the like. Instead, the wire in leaving the wire drawing machine 10 passes into the tinning bath 22 from a side thereof whereby it is not contaminated by dirt, sludge, oxides and the like normally existing at the top surface of the bath.

The side entry of the wire into the bath 22 is aiso considered to contribute to the success of my siniplitird drawing, coating and annealing process, as at present under stood. Howe-.er, essentially the improved process comprises pulling the in: through a die to reduce its diameter flnif raise i tetnpemtare, and immediately thereafter and at a camel, adjacent point pulling the wire through a molten tin bath to coat the writ: vi tlf! tin and simultaneously to anneal the wire. Such process eliminates intermediate steps and equipment, and enables treatment in the manner explained at a very high rate of speed whereby increased productivity is obtained with the use of fewer pieces of equipment.

The process is such that the wire in being brought directly into the tin bath is also perfectly clean and tree of surface oxide and surface dirt, not only because of the high speed but also since it does not pass through the top surtacc of the tin bath. The equipment is seen to eliminate bending of the vtire during the tinning, annealing and water cooling. This reduces the likelihood of the wire breaking while being bent or flexed at high annealing temperatures, where tensile strengths are considerably reduced. It also enables higher tinning and annealing speeds to be had. With the present apparatus there IS not required the cleaning of wire with acid or other means, which normally is practiced if the wire in ieaving the drawing machine is stored on spools and coated at a later time.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for tinning wire containing a high percentage of copper, comprising in combination:

a. a wire drawing machine having a spooled supply of wire, a reducing die receiving wire from said spooled supply and reducing the diameter of the wire wtnie simultaneously frictionally heating the same, a capstan immediately following the reducing die for pulling the reduced wire therethrough and therefrom,

b. a molten tin bath located closely adjacent the said machine and disposed after and closely ad acent the capstan thereof whereby wire heated by the die enters the tin bath before appreciably losing any of its frictional heat,

c. said bath including a side entrance and a side exit for wire coming from the capstan, and

d. a capstan following the tin bath, to pull the wire therethrough.

2. Apparatus for treating wire as in claim I wherein:

a. a cooling water bath is disposed between the tin bath and the capstan following the latter.

3. Apparatus for treating wire as in claim 2, wherein:

a. electric power means electrically connected to said capstans are provided, for passing a heating electric current through a wire which travels through the tin bath and water cooling bath.

4. Apparatus for tinning wire as in claim 2, and further including:

a. mounting means for said first-mentioned capstan and said tin bath. effecting relative positions thereof whereby wire leaving the capstan and directed substantially horizon tally therefrom and toward the bath can follow a line which brings it below the level of the molten tin in the bath,

b. said tin bath having entrance and exit openings below the tin level, through which the wire from the capstan can pass to obtain a tin coating,

c. means mounting said secondmentioned capstan with respect to the tin bath to maintain the wire immediately outside of the bath in substantially the same line of travel that the wire has within the bath,

d. said tin bath as it coats the wire enabling the latter to remain substantially straight and horizontal in passing from the first-mentioned capstan to the second-men tioned capstan.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4, and further including:

a. dies carried in the sidewalls of the tin bath, through which the wire can pass in being coated.

b. said dies preventing loss of molten tin from the bath at the points ofentry and exit olthe wire.

6. Apparatus as in claim 4, and further including:

a. cooling water bath between the tin bath and the capstan following the same, through the side walls of which water bath the wire can pass.

7. Apparatus as in claim 4, and further including:

a. electric power means electrically connected to said cap stans for supplying electric current to the capstans to effeet a heating of the wire passing thcrebetween. 

2. Apparatus for treating wire as in claim 1, wherein: a. a cooling water bath is disposed between the tin bath and the capstan following the latter.
 3. Apparatus for treating wire as in claim 2, wherein: a. electric power means electrically connected to said capstans are provided, for passing a heating electric current through a wire which travels through the tin bath and water cooling bath.
 4. Apparatus for tinning wire as in claim 2, and further including: a. mounting means for said first-mentioned capstan and said tin bath, effecting relative positions thereof whereby wire leaving the capstan and directed substantially horizontally therefrom and toward the bath can follow a line which brings it below the level of the molten tin in the bath, b. said tin bath having entrance and exit openings below the tin level, through which the wire from the capstan can pass to obtain a tin coating, c. means mounting said second-mentioned capstan with respect to the tin bath to maintain the wire immediately outside of the bath in substantially the same line of travel that the wire has within the bath, d. said tin bath as it coats the wire enabling the latter to remain substantially straight and horizontal in passing from the first-mentioned capstan to the second-mentioned capstan.
 5. Apparatus as in claim 4, and further including: a. dies carried in the sidewalls of the tin bath, through which the wire can pass in being coated, b. said dies preventing loss of molten tin from the bath at the points of entry and exit of the wire.
 6. Apparatus as in claim 4, and further including: a. cooling water bath between the tin bath and the capstan following the same, through the side walls of which water bath the wire can pass.
 7. Apparatus as in claim 4, and further including: a. electric power means electrically connected to said capstans for supplying electric current to the capstans to effect a heating of the wire passing therebetween. 